What started out as a place
called Happy Hens to buy fresh-laid eggs in Bonita Springs has evolved into a
one-of-a-kind ranch providing chefs and diners in South Florida with
sustainably raised, high-quality meat free of hormones, antibiotics or
genetically-modified feed.

The
meat, poultry and honey come from Kozak’s and Cruz’s other operation: the
130-acre Circle C Farm in Felda in Hendry County. Kozak and Cruz have wasted no
time in growing their sustainable ranch. In 2015, they became USDA-certified to process up
to 40,000 broiler poultry birds onsite each year.

By this
spring, their 6,000-square-foot facility had become a USDA-inspected site, the
first of its kind in Florida. This means they can package, distribute and sell
their red and white meats beyond the direct consumer, and others can bring
their animals to the ranch for processing.

Love of Animals Brought Them Together

Photo courtesy of Circle C Ranch.

Kozak
is a long-time Southwest Florida resident originally from horse country in
Virginia. Cruz is from the Dominican Republic, where his family raised hogs and
cattle and operated a dairy creamery. They met in Bonita Springs in 2004, and shared
a love of animals.

They
began nurturing rescued horses “but that snowballed so we needed more space,
and with more space, we needed more animals,” she says. A couple of cows grew
into their Felda livestock today: 100 or more sheep; 65 head of red and black
Angus; more than 3,000 meat or broiler chickens; and hogs.

Consumers
have become more aware about how their poultry, eggs, dairy and meat are raised
and processed in industrialized, corporate operations, thanks in part to
documentaries such as “Food, Inc.” and “Cow-spiracy: The Sustainability Secret.”
Growth hormones and antibiotics are
pumped into animals housed by the thousands in commercial warehouses, where
they are unable to move freely and slaughtered as soon as possible.

Just
the opposite happens at Circle C Farm, where animals have free range and are
given natural supplements. Their heritage hogs are a variety of pure breeds
that have longer “grow-out” periods than hybridized, commercial pork. They roam
and forage until they are 10 to 12 months old, instead of three or four months.
“That allows for the natural meat development and flavoring to enhance over
that time,” she explains. “Our animals may take a little longer to grow out,
but it’s better for them and for us.”

Photo courtesy of Circle C Ranch.

Circle
C’s sheep are special, too. Cruz and Kozak were told they were “crazy” to try
to raise them due to heat and parasites. They experimented and bred their own disease-resistant
stock—now the fifth generation. The ewes are de-wormed before lambing season,
“so they are as strong as possible,” she notes. Otherwise, “that’s all they
get—no antibiotics, no vaccinations.”

Chickens
are moved around in mobile coops to pasturelands, where they feed while
simultaneously fertilizing the grass. In their drinking water, they receive
essential oils, vitamins, cinnamon, oregano and lemon, for detoxification and
immune-system building. “We know that it’s a positive benefit for them with no
negative chemical side effects,” says Kozak.

The end
of the road, of course, is the slaughterhouse. Circle C calls its facility the French
term— abattoir. The animals don’t
have to be transported, causing stress and adrenaline shock that courses
through their body and alters the meat’s flavor.

High Demand Leads to Expansion

Photo courtesy of Circle C Ranch.

Circle
C has expanded to meet growing demand. Kozak says many Happy Hens shoppers are
selective about ingredients because of existing health conditions, while some feed
the organic meats to their pets. At least 16 local restaurants, clubs and chefs
utilize Circle C products, not including several on the East Coast, as well as
Paleo on the Go in Tampa.

Says Chef Harold Balink, of
Harold’s in south Fort Myers, “We try to get as much locally sourced products
as possible. They are a stone’s throw down the road, and people say it’s
delicious.”

Naples Yacht Club Chef John O’Leary began with
fresh eggs for omelets, Hollandaise and crème brûlée.
“It’s such a noticeable difference—the natural fats you get from the yolks,” he
says. One time, when Happy Hens sold out, club members clamored for some out of
his inventory, recalls O’Leary, who also uses Circle C’s turkey, chicken and
beef. “Their commitment to the overall health and quality and life of the
animals on the farm, it cascades into the club. All that passion they pour into
raising the livestock heightens the final product. So often a lot of farms want
to tell you a great story. Nicole and Manny live it every single day.”